Editorial Reviews

Lyrical, reflective, and rich with visceral verse, Temporal Echoes/Ecos En El Tiempo by Ivan A Salazar M is a bilingual plunge into the depths of emotive poetry. Focusing on the natural world, family, indigenous culture, and the philosophy of life as well as betrayal, heartbreak, mortality, and societal tragedy, these poems explore the full spectrum of subject, form, and style. Whether touching on universal concepts, specific memories, or nuances of contemporary history, these pieces are impactful and layered with meaning, expressed via rhyming couplets or a creative use of short verse. Accompanied by striking art pieces that neatly match the […]

A painfully relevant novel about poisonous patriotism, Them by Andrew J. Gregor is a striking statement about youth, indoctrination, and the ideological evolution of America. Jonah is a Midwest teen with a racist mechanic for a father, while Leila is a Muslim immigrant with a scarred family history and too much experience dealing with prejudice. Their unconventional connection veers toward star-crossed tragedy when Jonah’s father takes his bigotry to new heights of violence, emboldened by a national surge of Islamophobia and isolationism. Highlighting our modern era of misinformation and malicious beliefs, Gregor’s novel is a clear-eyed critique of virulent ignorance […]

An inventive and sometimes disturbing collection of stories, Mr Forward & Other Tails of Loss by Eric Herkert is a surreal plunge into the bizarre connections of ordinary lives. An innocent family’s cursed day of the week, disappearing doctor’s offices, a devilish puppeteer of mischief and murder, and the secret schemes of cats – homicidal, telepathic, and otherwise – make this a wild and genre-bending web of off-kilter storytelling. Exploring the casual desperation of solitude and the lingering effects of loss, this neatly curated collection is alternately profound and chilling, for a wholly original work of literary short fiction.

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An ominous thriller in the mysterious wilds of British Columbia, To Right a Wrong by Yuwa Hedrick-Wong is a multilayered whodunit with compelling investigators and an enticing number of twists. When the death of her ambitious friend Kim is classified as a suicide, Shaunna Duncan delves into solving what she rightfully believes was a murder. Supported by an eclectic crime-solving team, she unpacks the truth of Kim’s dangerous side hustles and the deadly webs in which he’d become entangled. Hedrick-Wong delivers a relatable set of characters in this strong opening to the Salt Spring Island Murder Mystery series, which crackles […]

A self-therapy guide for anyone seeking relief from emotional pain and unaddressed trauma, Master Emotional Healing: 8-Week Guided Mindfulness Journal to Change Behaviour Patterns and Negative Emotions for Beginners by Paulina Siwiera is an invaluable work of self-help for increasing self-awareness, reducing stress, and strengthening emotional regulation. Exploring the long-term impact of negative emotions and experiences, along with key approaches and cognitive tools to manage the resultant anxiety, this book covers a vast array of psychological issues that are not often covered in the field. “Trauma” has recently become a nebulous, blanket term in discussions of mental health, but Siwiera […]

A thrilling and mysterious tale of second chances, Into the Mist by Sharon Mikeworth is a genre-bending dive into time-traveling romance and the thin veil between dreams and waking. Recently jilted Cheyenne finds herself homeless, jobless, single, and squatting in an abandoned Victorian mansion while she attempts to get her life back on track. Enthralled by the incredibly vivid dreams she’s been having about the eerie antiquarian house, Cheyenne also develops a sleepwalking habit, and a liminal affair with a man from 1895, whose life is at a similar crossroads more than a century earlier. An intensely original mix of […]

A historical drama set two millennia in the past, Vinoda’s Vengeance by Naveen Sridhar is a captivating Indo-Greek novel led by a fearless and unpredictable protagonist. When a humble but clever actress named Vinoda catches the interest of the kingdom’s royal family and the eye of the crown prince, her life is soon consumed by palace intrigue and the opportunity to take her theatrical aspirations to a whole new level. Moving smoothly in new circles of influence, Vinoda’s bold personality and philosophical wisdom make her a popular addition to the court, but closeness to kings and crowns can make anyone […]

A sumptuous international romance that tantalizes both the senses and the heartstrings, A Lotus to Love: Perfume, Passion and Discovery in Egypt by Shelley Kassian is an adventurous second-chance love story with a distinctly romantic backdrop. A savant of high-end scents, Portia is sent to Egypt to research a new perfume inspired by Cleopatra’s legendary recipe. Though she is still reeling from the shocking loss of her husband, she finds companionship in unexpected places, rekindling purpose and passion in her life, but some exotic elements may be too good to be true. Written with visceral and sensorial prose that brings […]